Reciprocating transfer for rotary sheet feeding mechanisms



Feb. 28, 1950 w w JONES 2,499,068

RECIPROCATING TRANSFER FOR ROTARY SHEET FEEDING MECHANISMS Filed May 28, 1947 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 hI ENEF Feb. 28, 1950 2,499,068

W. W. JONES RECIPROCATING TRANSFER FOR ROTARY SHEET FEEDING MECHANISMS Filed May 28, 1947 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 [WI/E1775? WE/VDEMM Jan/5.5

W. W. JONES RECIPROCATING TRANSFER FOR ROTARY Feb. 28, 1950 SHEET FEEDING MECHANISMS 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed May 28, 1947 Z ZZ EUTUF Wsfwpgu/V James Feb. 28, 1950 w. w. JONES RECIPROCATING TRANSFER FOR ROTARY SHEET FEEDING MECHANISMS Filed May 28, 1947 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 5 3 d UTI N K9 ti [i a Patented Feb. 28, 1950 UNITED A STAT-ES PATENT OFFICE RECIPRGCATING TRANSFER FOR ROTARY SHEET FEEDING MECHANISMS Wendell William Jones, Pittsburgh, Pa., assignor to Blaw 'Knox Company, Pittsburgh,.Pa.', a'cor-- poration of New Jersey Application May 28, 1947, Serial No; 751,018

3 Claims; 1

This invention relates to improvements in sheet feeding mechanisms to be used. for feeding individual sheets to a rotary drum. I

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a feeding mechanismwhich may be adjusted to feed sheets of variouswidths andvariouslengths accurately to the same place adjoining the drum in synchronism with the rotation of-the drum.

Another object of the invention is to provide a sheet feeding mechanism designed to cooperate with sheets delivered to a feed table by a conveyor mechanism, without requiring that the sheets be first placed in a definite position on the feed table in order to insure that cooperation.

Another object ofthe invention is to provide a sheet feeding mechanism synchronized with a rotating drum provided with sheet gripping members on the drum and means for feeding the sheets accurately to a limited area in which they may. be gripped by the grippers;

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be mentioned hereinafter or will become apparent from a perusal of the specification and drawings in which a preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated and described.

As shown on the drawings:

Figure 1 represents a side elevationof an apparatus embodying my invention;-

Figure 2 is'a partial sectional view of the same apparatus shown in position to initiate a sheet feeding operation;

Figure 3 is a partial sectional view of the Same apparatus shown in-the' positionit occupies at the completion of a sheet feeding operation;

Figure 4 is an elevation ofa portion of the sheet feeding mechanism;

Figure 5 is a plan view of'the apparatus as shown in Figure 4; and v Figure B'is a'plan view' of the sheet feeding table.

Referring further to the drawings the apparatus includes a rotatable drum!!! mounted for rotation in suitable bearings supported on the frame members a few 'of'which such'as H; 12

and l 3 appear in the elevational view in Figure 1.

Other frame members for supporting the other end of the drum may be assumed.

Adjoining'the drum and secured to related frame members including the upright M is a feed table generally indicated as l5 and which 2 cured longitudinally of the feed'tableby means of bolts such as -22 extending through the "longitudinal slots 23 in a plate 24 which is part of a carriage-mounted for longitudinal reciprocation underneath the feed table. As is more clearly shown in Figure 3; the plate 24- is secured to brackets 25 and 26 which slidably embrace a pair of fixed longitudinally extending rods such as 27, one of which is best shown in Figure 3.- It is apparent that by means of the mechanism shown, and about to be more fully described, the

' carriage structure consisting of the plates 2| and Hand brackets 25 and-'25 reciprocate under-the tablewithonly the fingers 20 extending above the surface of the feed table.

For reciprocating the feeding mechanism between the retracted position shown in Figure 2 and the forward pos-itionshown in Figure 3,- I provide a sprocket gear 28 driven by means of the sprocket chain 29 which is inturn driven by sprocket chain 30 which may be,-though not necessarily, connected with the driving mechanism of a printing machine which delivers printed sheets to the feed table. As shown on the drawings,'another sprocket chain 3| is utilized for driving the drum l0.

Theshaft of the gear 28 carries rigidly therewith'radial crank arms 32 which are pivotally connected at 32 with connecting rods 33-"which in turn are pivotally connected with pusher arms 34 and guide rods 35 whose lower ends are pivotally supported upon" a bracket 36. Since the crank arms 32 rotate with the sprocket gear-"'28 it is apparent that continuous-rotation of the gear 28 will effect the reciprocation of the feed fingers 20- which are connected'with the carriage bracket 31. p

In the feeding mechanism shown, the advanced or forward position of the carriage will always be the same, but inasmuch as the feed fingers 20 are adjustable thereon the-mechanism is able to feed sheets of several different lengthsto the pick up position on the drum. In Figure 2 the two extreme adjusted positions of the feed fingers relatively to the carriage 31 are shown, one in full line and the other'in dotted lines.

For guiding the leading edge of a sheet such as A to the drum I provide a curved plate 38 which terminates in proximity to the drum at the position where the gripping of the sheet is desired.

In Figure 3 there is shown a gripping finger 39 which is mounted for rotation with a rock shaft 4|], the shaft extending parallel to the surface of the drum but slightly inside of its periphery. While the present invention is not confined to use with this type of gripping mechanism a1one,'the gripping mechanism selected indicates one suitable type which may be employed and which requires accurate positioning of the leading edges of the sheets at the gripping position on the drum. Without a detailed explanation of the mechanism of the gripping fingers it will nevertheless be perceived that upon rocking of the gripping finger into the drum interior the sheet may be released whereas when the gripping finger 39 is projected to the exterior of the drum it will clamp the leading edge of the sheet against the drum surface.

When the gripping mechanism of this character is employed it is important that the leading edge of a sheet when it is delivered to the drum be caused to lie flatly against the surface of the drum. Accordingly I provide a mechanism to make certain that this will result. A rock shaft 4i shown on an enlarged scale in Figure will be mounted in suitable bearings on the machine frame adjacent the drum. Secured to this rock shaft at intervals will be a plurality of curved guide fingers 42. Keyed or otherwise secured to the rock shaft is an arm :23 pivotally connected by link 52 with a lever 44 which is pivotally mounted at 45 upon a bracket 4-6 connected to the frame member 52. A spring 4? is anchored to the upward extension 58 of the bracket 46 and is connected to the arm Ml at M3. This spring therefor serves to urge the lever it to rotate in a counter-clockwise manner as viewed in Figure 4, or in a clockwise manner as viewed in Figure 2 or 3; A cam 59 is secured to the end surface of the drum, as shown in Figure 4, adjoining each set of gripping members, and as these gripping members approach the position Where they are intended to pick up a new sheet of paper the roller or cam follower 5! pivoted on one end of the arm M will strike the cam 55 and cause the lever A l to rotate in a direction contrary to the force of the spring. This rotation of the lever 4 through the link 52 and arm 43 will cause the rock shaft 4! to rotate and cause the curved fingers 12 to swing toward the curved plate 33 and the drum, as shown in Figure 3, to engage the leading edge of the paper A and guide it into contact with the drum surface whereby the gripping fingers 39 ma immediately thereafter grip the leading edge of such sheet.

As stated above, the function of these curved fingers 42 is merely to guide and to cause the leading edge of the paper sheet A to lie flatly against the drum surface, so that the sheet gripping fingers mounted on the drum may readily grasp the leading edge and clamp it against the drum surface. Therefore, the fingers 42, when projected toward plate 38, do not contact it but need only to rotate close enough to the curved surface 38, as shown in Figure 4, to accomplish the above function. It is not necessary to press the sheet A against the curved surface, nor do the fingers 42 in any way grip the sheet to advance it. When the fingers 32 are retracted there is even greater clearance between them and the curved plate 38, as shown in Figure 2, hence the fingers 12 do not impede the advance of the sheet as it is being advanced to the drum by the feed fingers 2B.

The cam 58 is so positioned on the drum that after the gripping fingers 39 have gripped the sheet the cam 59 will pass beyond the roller 5! whereupon the spring ll will retract the guide fingers 52.

In the operation of the device sheets of paper, perhaps just freshly printed, will be delivered by means of a conveyor belt 53 onto the feed table. whereupon the sheets will merely drop down and slide forwardly upon the slats. In the synchronized operation of the apparatus the feed fingers fit 20 will move forwardly to engage the rear edge of the sheet and slide the sheet A along the slats and thence along the curved plate 38 into proximity with the drum. As just explained the guide fingers 42 will guide and press the leading edge of the sheet against the drum surface in timed relation to enable the gripping fingers 39 at the correct instant to grasp the leading edge of the sheet.

Vertical guide members 54 and 55 may be adjustably positioned by means of slots such as 56 and bolts such as 5! near the lateral margins of the feed table to assist in guiding the sheets being delivered from the conveyor belt 53. However, it will be recognized that the feed fingers 29 upon contacting the rear edges of the sheets will properly square the sheets so that their leading edges will be presented properly to the drum gripping mechanism.

While I have described herein in considerable detail a preferred embodiment of the invention, for the sake of illustrating the nature of the invention and its mode of operation, it should be understood that the invention is not limited to the precise details of construction herein shown and described, but is susceptible of some variation and modification within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In combination, a rotatable drum, feed mechanism for feeding sheets to the drum comprising a feed table having longitudinal slots therein and having a forward edge terminating adjacent the drum, a reciprocating carriage mounted for movement below the table, feed fingers on the carriage extending upwardly through said slots to engage the rear edges of the sheets, the drum having rotatable gripping fingers for gripping the leading edges of the sheets, syncronized drive means for reciprocating said carriage in timed relation with the rotation of said drum for delivering the leading edges of sheets to the gripping fingers on the drum, means for adjusting said feed fingers longitudinally of said carriage, movable guide fingers pivotally 1nount- 2. In combination, a rotatable drum, feed mechanism for feeding sheets to the drum comprising a feed table having longitudinal slots therein and having an upwardly curved forward edge terminating adjacent the drum, a reciproeating carriage mounted for movement below the table, feed fingers on the carriage extending upwardly through said slots to engage the rear edges of the sheets, the drum having rotatable gripping fingers for clamping the leading edges of the sheets to the peripheral surface of the drum, synchronized drive means for reciprocating said carriage in timed relation with the rotation of said drum for delivering the leading edges of sheets to the gripping fingers on the drum, means for adjusting said feed fingers pivotally longitudinally of said carriage, movable guide fingers mounted adjoining the drum, and cam operated means for projecting and retracting said guide fingers respectively toward and away from said curved edge constructed for projecting said fingers in timed relation to the rotation of the drum for guiding the leading edges of sheets to the drum surface into position to be gripped by the gripping fingers on the drum.

3. In combination, a rotatable drum, feed mechanism for feeding sheets to the drum comprising a feed table having longitudinal slots therein, a reciprocating carriage mounted for movement below the table, feed fingers on the carriage extending upwardly through said slots to engage the rear edges of the sheets, the drum having gripping means including rotatable clamps for gripping the leading edges of the sheets, synchronized drive means for reciprocating said carriage in timed relation with the rotation of said drum for delivering the leading edges of sheets to the gripping means on the drum, means for adjusting said fingers longitudinally of said carriage, oscillatable curved guide fingers mounted adjoining the drum, and means for oscillating said guide fingers constructed for projecting said fingers toward the drum in timed relation to the rotation of the drum for guiding the leading edges of sheets to the drum surface 5 into position to be gripped by the gripping mechanism on the drum.

WENDELL WILLIAM JONES.

10 REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 15 Number Name Date 365,127 Hawkins June 21, 1887 936,108 Ford Oct. 5, 1909 1,603,349 Marquardt Oct. 19, 1926 1,712,247 Brasseur May 7, 1929 

